Recent Posts

About ZagsBlog

Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.

Tyler to Work out for Israeli Team

Jeremy Tyler will work out later this week in Los Angeles for Maccabi Haifa Heat of the Israeli pro league.

“He’s working out and people are coming in to see him,” said grassroots basketball guru Sonny Vaccaro, who will broker Tyler’s pro deal. “The Israeli team Haifa are going to be in Thursday and Friday to interview Jeremy and work him out.”
The 6-foot-11 Tyler initially committed to Louisville but then announced he would skip his senior year of high school to play professionally for two years before entering the 2011 NBA Draft.
“It may not be the best way to get to the NBA, but it’s the best way to get ready for the NBA,” Jeremy Tyler told Yahoo! Sports.
Vaccaro, who also negotiated Brandon Jennings’ deal with an Italian pro team, said Tyler “will probably work out for other teams in Europe next week.”
“The schedule is now being planned out,” he said.
As for rumors that Kentucky commits John Wall and/or DeMarcus Cousins were considering playing in Europe, Vaccaro said he has “never” spoken to either player or their representatives.
“If [Wall] would end up in Europe it would be the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever seen in my life because he should’ve been in the NBA,” Vaccaro said. “This is a mystery to me.”
A source with knowledge previously told me he expected Wall to be academically qualified for Kentucky next season.
As for Lance Stephenson, whom Vaccaro has consulted with at times, Sonny had no update.
“I haven’t talked to them in a month,” he said. “They’ll do the right thing.”

Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.